News Courtesy: phayul.com, published on 24 December 2009.
By : Kalsang Rinchen
Dharamsala, December 24 – Chinese government has sacked a noted political philosopher and constitutional scholar at the Philosophy Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), China’s largest think tank and a state-run institution, reportedly for writing articles critical of the Chinese government's policies, according to New York based right group, Human Rights in China (HRIC).
Though the official reason cited for Zhang's expulsion was “his absence without leave” in 2009 – referring to his research trips to Japan and the United States in July and August this year - Zhang says the real reason is that “his numerous articles advocating constitutional reform contravene the 'political discipline' of the Communist Party committee at CASS, which requires adherence to the central government’s position.”
“It completely violates the principles of free speech and academic freedom; it violates the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China’s provisions on civil rights; it violates the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which the Chinese government has already solemnly signed; and it violates the basic norms of the modern civilized world. The time has come for these objectionable practices and vile methods of the Academy to be thoroughly abolished,” HRIC's English translation of Zhang's statement reads.
Zhang joined CASS in 1991 as an assistant research fellow, a post he held for the past 18 years. The dismissal notice says he now has three months to “transfer out” of CASS. In 1993 he published an article from Hongkong that was critical of the Chinese government’s crackdown on pro-democracy students in 1989.
Zhang has also authored ten books, including From May 4 to June 4: Criticism of Chinese Despotism in the 20th Century (Vol. I) and Feasibility Studies on China’s Constitutional Reform. Zhang was also among the first group of people to sign the Charter 08, a widely circulated petition calling for more civil rights in China and an end to the Communist Party's political dominance that was released in December last year.
A recent article by Zhang’s “What Type of ‘Soft Power’ Does China Need?” will appear in the forthcoming issue of China Rights Forum, HRIC's quarterly journal. “Zhang highlights the distinction between the 'genuine soft power' based on universal human values and what he considers to be 'bogus' soft power, which co-opts traditional culture in order to prettify China’s current one-party political structure,” says HRIC on its website.
***************************
By : Kalsang Rinchen
Dharamsala, December 24 – Chinese government has sacked a noted political philosopher and constitutional scholar at the Philosophy Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), China’s largest think tank and a state-run institution, reportedly for writing articles critical of the Chinese government's policies, according to New York based right group, Human Rights in China (HRIC).
Though the official reason cited for Zhang's expulsion was “his absence without leave” in 2009 – referring to his research trips to Japan and the United States in July and August this year - Zhang says the real reason is that “his numerous articles advocating constitutional reform contravene the 'political discipline' of the Communist Party committee at CASS, which requires adherence to the central government’s position.”
“It completely violates the principles of free speech and academic freedom; it violates the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China’s provisions on civil rights; it violates the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which the Chinese government has already solemnly signed; and it violates the basic norms of the modern civilized world. The time has come for these objectionable practices and vile methods of the Academy to be thoroughly abolished,” HRIC's English translation of Zhang's statement reads.
Zhang joined CASS in 1991 as an assistant research fellow, a post he held for the past 18 years. The dismissal notice says he now has three months to “transfer out” of CASS. In 1993 he published an article from Hongkong that was critical of the Chinese government’s crackdown on pro-democracy students in 1989.
Zhang has also authored ten books, including From May 4 to June 4: Criticism of Chinese Despotism in the 20th Century (Vol. I) and Feasibility Studies on China’s Constitutional Reform. Zhang was also among the first group of people to sign the Charter 08, a widely circulated petition calling for more civil rights in China and an end to the Communist Party's political dominance that was released in December last year.
A recent article by Zhang’s “What Type of ‘Soft Power’ Does China Need?” will appear in the forthcoming issue of China Rights Forum, HRIC's quarterly journal. “Zhang highlights the distinction between the 'genuine soft power' based on universal human values and what he considers to be 'bogus' soft power, which co-opts traditional culture in order to prettify China’s current one-party political structure,” says HRIC on its website.
***************************
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment